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MMU-:5555i @MW No. 624,500. Patented' May '9, |899.

' W. K. KENNARD.

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(Application led July 1, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet'z lun/ENTER KWK/w@ NTTED STATES 1 PATENT Ferca'.

WILLIAM K. KENARD, OF HAMPDEN, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE V. SMITH AND LEWIS C. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

CHAINLESS BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,500, dated May 9, 1899. i Application led July 1, 1897. Serial No. 643,097. (No model.)V I

. T @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM K. KENNARD, of Hampden, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chainless Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bicycles and similar vehicles in which power is transmitted from the driving-shaft to the driven shaft Io through the medium of levers and gears without the use of a chain.` The invention consists in theimprovements which I shall now proceed to describe and jclaim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of the rear portion of Va bicycle constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a top plan View of the driving mechanzo ism. Fig. 3 represents a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4t represents a-detailview of the gearing. Fig. 5 represents a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 represent in side elevation and plan, respectively, a-

4 2'5 modified construction of the forward ends of the connecting-levers.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a designates the crank-axle of the bicycle, and l) the rear axle thereof. Attached to the crankaxle are cranks c, which are oset intermediate of their ends by Wrist-pins c', which operate in slots d', formed in the forward ends of two connecting-levers dd. The said levers are fulcrumed intermediate of their ends at e c on the lower ends of twovertical swinging rods c c, which are pivoted at their upper ends to the frame of the machine, and the 4o levers at their rear ends are connected by wrist-pinsf with cranks f f, which are affixed to the rear axle b. Thus it will be seen that by revolving the cranks c in a forward direction the cranks f and the rear axle will be revolved in the opposite direction or backward. Y

In order to convert this backward revolution of the rear axle into a forward revolution of the rear wheel, the said axle is provided with alarge internally-toothed gear-wheel g, which 5o meshes with an idler-gear h, the said idler in turn meshing with a gear-pinion t, affixed to l the hub of the rear wheel. The 'shaft is affixed to and drives the large gearg.` This in turn drives the idler h, which is provided with fixed bearings carried by a plate 7L', which 55 plate is supported by the frame of the machine. The idler in turn drives the rear wheel by means of thepinion t' attached thereto. Antifriction ball-bearings are provided for the axle b at h b in the rear forks, 6o and for the' rear wheel at b2 h2 between said axle and the hub of the said wheel and at other points in the mechanism where their use is advantageous. The distance from the center of the crank-axle dto the center of the wrist-pinl c' is greater than the distance from the center of the rear axle b to the center of the wrisr-pinf, and the fulcrum e' of the connecting-leverd is placed back of the middle point of said lever. In order to compen- 7o salte for the difference in diameter of the circles traversed by the wrist-pins c and f', .re-- spectively, the connecting-levers d are slotted at d,`as shown, to allow a certain amount of free travel of the wrist-pin c. In each stroke of each crank c at the top of the stroke the treadle is advanced from a position im-` mediately in the rear of the vertical line or dead-center7 to a position immediately in front thereof without performing any work 8o in propelling the vehicle, and the treadle is thereby put in an advantageous positionfor the downward stroke. i i

I reserve the right to vary details of construction within the scope of myinventionas, for instance, by dispensing with the slots d' and substituting therefor the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein a link cl2 is used to connect the forward end of the connecting-lever d with the wrist-pin c. On the 9o upward portion of the stroke of the crank c said link folds under the end of the lever d and is straightened out at the beginning of the downward stroke.

I claim- The hereindescribed driving mechanism for rear-wheel-driven vehicles, comprising a crank-shaft and two pedal-cranks, two levers of the first order mounted to reciprocate as well as to vibrate and connected with the loo pedal-cranks, a crank-shaft passing through the rear-wheel hub and having a crank at each end, and a three-part differential gear name to this specification,v in the presence of whereof the outervwheelis connected with the Wo subscribing Witnesses, this 25th day of 1o last-mentioned shaft, the central pinion with June, A. D.v 1897.

the road-Wheel, and the vinterrnetiate Wheel- 5 earrierwiththe frame,theinterinediate Wheel WILLIAM K' KENNARD' meshing both with the outer Wheel and with VitnesseS: the 'central pinion, substantially as set forth. JOHN C. BOYD, In testimony whereof I have signed my G. A. ERSKINE. 

